Owen Good

Wrapping up work on their epic Batman: Arkham City, the developers at U.K.-based Rocksteady Studios set out to party hardy. First up was a 250-lap go-kart race. Then they went to Wayne Manor's real-life stand-in and turned on the Bat-Signal.

That estate is Wollaton Hall in Nottingham, which is where the Wayne Manor scenes were filmed for the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises. According to Rocksteady's Simon Warwick, a senior animator at the studio, the visits were a surprise. A bus showed up to take them to an unknown location which, after a three-hour drive, turned out to be the go-kart track, where Warwick would record the fastest lap of the day. Then it was on to Wollaton Hall, bathed in the glow of the Bat-Signal upon arrival.

Warwick has some more pictures up on his personal site. He and his comrades certainly earned their party; Arkham City is one of the year's most raved-about games.